1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus with a manual sheet feeder portion.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Heretofore, various copy machines have been proposed wherein a manual sheet feeder portion is provided externally to multiple automatic sheet feeder portions provided with paper supplying rollers, and wherein the paper supplying roller of the aforesaid manual sheet feeder portion is used in conjunction with the paper supplying roller of one or another of the aforesaid automatic paper feeder portions.
In the aforesaid copy machine, an independent paper supplying roller of the manual sheet feeder portion is unnecessary, thereby allowing a reduction in the size of the sheet feeding device.
But paper is transported from the manual sheet feeder portion when paper has been introduced thereto and the automatic sheet feeder portion whose paper supplying roller is operating in conjunction with the manual feeding device is purposely or automatically selected as the paper supply port.
In a copy machine capable of switching to a specified priority paper supply port automatically without additional input after power has been applied or a set time after power has been applied, paper of a different size introduced to the manual sheet feeder portion may be supplied therefrom when the paper supplying roller of the aforesaid priority paper supply port operates in conjunction with the paper supplying roller of the manual sheet feeder portion.
The aforesaid problem is not limited only to copy machines, but is also common to image forming apparatus having a manual sheet feeder mechanism in addition to an automatic sheet feeder device.